These 4 players would be ideal 1st-round picks for the Chicago Bears

At this point in the 2023 NFL Draft process, the only thing Chicago Bears fans can do is wait. Mock drafts have provided every conceivable scenario for the No. 9 pick. Trade speculation continues to percolate. Social media debate rages on.

When it’s all said and done, all that matters is that Chicago Bears GM Ryan Poles drafts a good player in the first round. Sounds simple, right?

The Bears’ first-round pick will get the most publicity, but building a championship team requires more than just a smash hit in Round 1. Poles must construct a quality draft class in 2023. He can’t miss with either of his two second-round picks, and it’d be fantastic if he lands a starter somewhere on Day 3.

But it all kicks off with that pesky first-rounder.

After months of player evaluation, I believe these four players represent the best first-round value for Poles and the Chicago Bears. At least one should be on the board at the ninth pick.

Paris Johnson Jr. (OT, Ohio State)

Johnson is the top offensive tackle in the 2023 NFL Draft. The Chicago Bears’ biggest need along the offensive line is an offensive tackle. It’s a perfect fit.

The 2023 offseason has focused on building around QB Justin Fields. First, the Bears committed to him by trading the No. 1 pick and confirming he’s the franchise’s future. They acquired a game-breaking wide receiver in the trade — DJ Moore — and shored up the interior of the offensive line in free agency with guard Nate Davis.

Why stop there?

Drafting Johnson, a plug-and-play starter in the NFL, would give the Chicago Bears a quality starting five along the offensive line. I’m a fan of left tackle Braxton Jones, who, paired with Johnson, would set the Bears up at offensive tackle for the next half-decade or longer.

Broderick Jones (OT, Georgia)

Jones is my OT2 in the 2023 NFL Draft. His upside might be higher than Paris Johnson Jr.”s. But his floor is lower, too.

Jones” athletic traits are remarkable. His power is exceptional. Some NFL teams will rank Jones as the top offensive lineman in the 2023 draft despite his still-developing skill set.

If Johnson is off the board at No. 9, Jones should be the next offensive lineman on Poles’ wish list.

Christian Gonzalez (CB, Oregon)

If Poles is deadset on adding a premium-position player in the first round, he has to give long consideration to Gonzalez. He’s the best pure cover corner in the 2023 draft. His ability to mirror receivers in their route is like a cheat code, he nearly runs the route for them. Combined with his exceptional length, hip fluidity, quickness, and instincts, Gonzalez profiles as a player who can quickly become one of the NFL’s top cornerbacks.

At 6-foot-1 and 197 pounds, Gonzalez looks like he was sculpted from a cornerback prototype. His 4.38 40-yard dash adds to his appeal.

Gonzalez totaled 50 tackles, four interceptions and seven pass breakups in 2022. If there’s any knock on his game, it’s his open-field tackling against the run. But that’s not what cornerbacks get paid big money for. Instead, it’s about coverage ability, and Gonzalez is the clear best in class in 2023.

Bijan Robinson (RB, Texas)

Before you lose your mind over a running back on this list, hear me out. The Chicago Bears can’t miss with their first-round pick in 2023. They must add an impact starter with game-changing ability. Sure, an offensive tackle can’t do that, but a good one allows the quarterback and other skill players to thrive. And that changes games.

Robinson is the best game-changing offensive prospect in the 2023 draft, and it isn’t even close. He’s more than just a runner, he’ll be a dual-threat weapon like Christian McCaffrey and Saquon Barkley.

Robinson has some LaDainian Tomlinson to his game. There’s a dash of Todd Gurley. Essentially, he’s a freakish combination of some of the best running backs who’ve played over the last 10 or even 20 years.

Running back isn’t a premium position. I understand that. Ryan Poles and the Chicago Bears understand that too. But the impact Robinson would have on Justin Fields (remember, he’s the priority here) and the rest of the offense is immeasurable.

Picture this: The Chicago Bears offense led by Fields, Bijan Robinson, and DJ Moore, with Chase Claypool, Darnell Mooney, and Cole Kmet doing their part as complementary pieces. The offensive line would feature Braxton Jones, Teven Jenkins, Cody Whitehair, Nate Davis, and, admittedly, a void at right tackle. But the overall outcome is a scary group of skill players that can rival any point-scorers in the NFC.

Is that enough to make Robinson the pick? Who knows. But he’s the best non-quarterback offensive prospect in the 2023 draft, and he must be on this list.

Where’s Peter Skoronski and Jalen Carter? How about Tyree Wilson?

I’ve long said I don’t believe the Chicago Bears will draft Peter Skoronski. He doesn’t meet the length thresholds to project to offensive tackle in the NFL, and I think that matters to Ryan Poles. We’ll see.

Is Skoronski a supremely talented offensive lineman? Absolutely. But the Bears have the interior positions stabilized for now. That isn’t the case at right tackle, drafting a pure offensive tackle has to be the priority.

As for Jalen Carter? I don’t see any way he lasts to No. 9. There are too many teams ahead of the Chicago Bears (Seahawks and Lions, for sure) who will likely take him. Other clubs could try to trade up, too. If Carter slides to the Bears’ pick? Yup. Move him to the top of this list. But I want to keep this group of four realistic, and including Carter wouldn’t be.

Tyree Wilson is another player connected to the Chicago Bears at No. 9. He’d be a fantastic edge rusher for a defense that desperately needs one. But I don’t think Poles will take him over one of the offensive tackles or Christian Gonzalez. If Wilson is on the board with one of the offensive tackles and Gonzalez, I’d expect the Bears to try to trade down a few picks.